Exam Question

Exam Question

Explain one way that music videos use media language to differ from one another. Refer to one example contrasting language in two media videos you have studied to support your answer. (4 marks)

In the music video 'Black Magic', the setting is in a high school surrounded by people of different races, ethnicities, social status and more. For example, one of the group members of Little Mix is of a dark race and she is presented as being equal to the others. Moreover, High schools can be represented as a place of bullying and social anxiety - as it does in the music video. The effect of using a High school as the setting of the music video shows all the different backgrounds that students come from and shows more diverse cultures. This differs from the music video 'Somebody to you' as the setting is on a beach. Beaches are represented as a happy and tranquil place where people go to catch the sun and have a splash. In addition to this, all of the people within the video are seen as equal - they are predominantly of the same age, of a white race and fairly skinny - excluding a majority of people. For example - black people, larger people, etc. This contrasts to (BM) as it therefore makes the colour scheme very different and the characters within the video are very different too.

Question

How far do you agree that the two videos you have studied are conventional to the genre? (POP)

Little Mix: In the music video 'Black Magic', it challenges the pop conventions at the start as the girl group begin their video dressed in a way that is not looked at as sexy or pretty. Little Mix had this at the first few scenes because they wanted to stand out as different by not conforming to the normal pop video. However, this changes when the group of girls do the spell which make them look different. They then wear revealing and more fashionable clothes which conform to the genre's conventions. 

It is very clear here that Little Mix wear glasses and unfashionable clothing - there is huge contrast in the way they look after they change. They are all wearing mini skirts, their hair is down and their skin is showed a significant amount more. 

The Vamps: In the music video 'Somebody To You', it is conventional to the pop genre as it is very bright lighting on a beach setting to show fun and being young, innocent and carefree. As well as this, everyone is almost always smiling and happy which is a convention to pop. This would make the audience feel entertained and give them a sense of joy to watch - or gives off a sense of escapism to anyone feeling down. Moreover, the clothing worn for the women in the video is always showing skin - which is convenient to the location of a beach. Whereas the group of boys are wearing leather jackets which connote rebellion and youth. 

Additionally, whenever the group of girls come on screen not only are they always in the sunlight - but they are constantly in slow motion. The effect of this on the audience would be that all of the people in the music video (all white) are beautiful and metaphorically cast a spell on boys and the way that the boys look at them.

Overall, I would agree that the two music videos above are conventional to the pop genre. This includes the use of bright lighting and storylines of a high school group and a group of boys and girls having fun socialising. Also the fact that in both videos there is a use of skin revealing to present their obvious youth and fashion sense that comes with being a young celebrity. 

Music Videos - Theoretical Language

Music videos

Theoretical framework in music unit:

- Language

- Representation 

- Audience

- Context (social and cultural)

Both "Somebody To You" and "Black Magic" are pop genre. 

In the exam, we have to write "Black Magic" or "Somebody To You" (depending on the question) at least once, but after that we can write it as "BM" or "STY".

Why do artists feature other artists in their videos/on their tracks?

In music videos or in their tracks, sometimes people feature other artists. This can be to get a wider range of audience or to get more views as two celebrities fans are more fans than only one celebrity. Also,  it can be more fun to make celeb friends and exciting. As well as this it will be more likely to be talked about amongst the viewers/audience. 

If the audience is the same, then why are the videos so different?

Not every celebrity has the same thinking or style, and every celebrity wants to have an image that is different to other music artists out there. Also, depending on the words of the song the video will typically be different. And it depends on what message is trying to be sent to the audience.

Homework

Homework

Representation

Representation

Star image:

- A stars image becomes a readily recognised sign that is used in many different media forms

- Stars can use the fact that their image has meaning by allowing it to be used for advertising purposes

- A pop star is a manufactured image and does not correlate to their personality behind the image

Representation in Little Mix's video "Black Magic"

For example, in the video the popular girl is presented as bitchy, beautiful and who has the boy that the 'nerdy' girls want. This representation also leads on to 'nerdy' girls who are represented as being ugly, wears glasses and fantasises about boys who do not deserve them. This also leads on to them changing into beautiful girls who get powers and the boy they want. This is not a positive message to send as it means that in order for unpopular girls to get the boy they want they need to change how they look and get magical powers. 

Representation in The Vamps' song "Somebody To You"

For example, in the video every single girl is skinny and beautiful. This represents young girls as 'perfect' or 'flawless'. This is also not a positive message to send as it influences girls who do not look like that to change the way that they look to have the same opportunities that the group of girls in the video gets. In addition to this, the girls are always in bikinis or half naked - as well as never not being in the sunlight - throughout the entire video. This sends a message that it is a positive thing to promote your sexuality.

Also, The Vamps are represented as being so carefree and as if they get what they want so easily. In the video, they are dressed in leather jackets. Leather is normally associated with youth and rebellion - conveying a "star image" for them. They are also playing football and playing around. 

Audience And Set Texts

Audience And Set Texts

Uses and Gratifications Theory

- Information

- Personal identity

- Social interaction

- Entertainment

This theory is applied to music videos as it creates social interaction for people (for example). It may be talked about amongst friends and active audiences will speak their mind and opinions. 

SET TEXTS

Purpose of music videos

Purpose of music videos

- Music videos are an important promotional tool for marketing performers and their music

- They help to create the 'star image' for a new performer (e.g. Billie Eilish)

- They adapt or develop the image of a more established artist (e.g. Ariana Grande) 

- Music videos are used to interpret and anchor the meaning of a song and to entertain the audience

- Iconography indicates the genre of the music and the style of the performer

Different styles of music video

Performance - (for example One Direction "What makes you beautiful") where there is close ups of the performers, direct address to engage the audience and different outfits.

Narrative - (for example Justin Bieber "What Do You Mean?) where a story is created, sometimes the lyrics do not match the visuals at all. Sometimes the artist doesn't feature at all and there are just actors -and enigma codes which is when the audience asks questions.

Conceptual - (for example Ok Go "The One Moment") where it is base around an idea or an image.





Conventions

Katy Perry - "TGIF"
Coldplay - "Paradise"


Task 1 - Identify conventions

Task 2 - What genres do these 2 videos conform to? List 4 genre conventions of iconography you spotted in each

Task 3 - Apply Todorov's narrative theory to one of the videos

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TGIF - conventions are pop, fun, colourful and it has a narrative so this video conforms to Todorov's theory, the artist features in the video. The artists outfit is very girly and stylish to set trends.







Paradise - conventions are fun, it has a narrative, it is quite colourful and the artists do not feature in the music video.